Councils stand ready to help people fleeing the war
As the war in Ukraine intensifies, so too does the humanitarian crisis.
Councils have a proud history of welcoming refugees, stepping forward at times of crisis to offer homes and support so families and individuals can build new lives in the UK.
As well as playing a unique role in welcoming new arrivals, councils have a huge range of expertise that should inform the development and delivery of support for people arriving from Ukraine.
The LGA continues to work around the clock with the Government, councils and our partners to ensure this expertise is used.
Last month, along with our sister LGAs in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, we wrote to Home Secretary Priti Patel and Communities Secretary Michael Gove pressing for further clarity to help councils plan their support for new arrivals and the people opening their homes to them via the Government’s ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme
Councils have a number of responsibilities under this scheme, including undertaking safeguarding and accommodation checks, sharing data, and helping Ukrainian arrivals integrate into local communities.
The Government is still developing its guidance to councils on safeguarding, housing checks, and councils’ responsibilities for homeless families. We are sharing the issues you have raised with us to inform this guidance.
I know access to data – for example, to all councils about existing communities, and actual numbers of arrivals and where they are settling – is extremely important to planning your council’s response so people’s needs can be met as quickly as possible.
Authorities with social care and children’s service responsibilities have been invited by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to put forward a named data contact.
I know you will be sharing this data with district council colleagues.
However, the data coming through to councils has not always been usable.
Our letter to ministers also flagged that the quantum and duration of funding for councils remains critical. For example, we need clarity on how the £10,500 per person payment to councils should be shared in two-tier areas.
Councils need short- and long-term funding, both for their direct role in supporting new arrivals and for their community leadership role in ensuring integration and access to local services.
As with other resettlement schemes, this is likely to include access to English language support, school places and education needs; housing and homelessness support; mental health, trauma and wellbeing; social care; and higher housing costs in some areas.
In the long term, a flexible and creative approach to finding and funding accommodation is also needed.
Finally, the Government should prioritise working with local government and other partners to find innovative and safe solutions at pace. We need to see good local-national government communications, so that councils can plan with certainty and manage potential risks to community cohesion and resilience.
We also continue to raise general questions about the scale of the scheme and the capacity needed to support new arrivals.
Councils simultaneously continue to support existing arrivals from Afghanistan and Syria. The LGA continues to lobby for improvements to the broader asylum system, and the need for elected members to be part of a single conversation with government.
Thank you for everything you are doing to help Ukrainians fleeing the war.
Family support
Many Ukrainian children and families arriving in the UK will have experienced trauma. Barnardo’s has set up a free helpline (0800 148 8586), staffed by English, Ukrainian and Russian speakers, that offers advice, practical support and access to therapy. Children England is collating offers of support, including advocacy, translation and family reunification services – see www.childrenengland.org.uk/support-for-ukrainian-children-and-families. The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action has collated child protection resources that children’s services teams may find helpful – see alliancecpha.org/en/ukraine_resources.
Council exposure to Russian firms
Communities Secretary Michael Gove wrote to councils last month about the Government’s sanctions on Russia and Belarus, and urged councils to scrutinise their contracts and determine their exposure to Russian- and Belarusian-owned companies.
At the request of councils’ procurement officers, the LGA has circulated a guidance note to procurement teams on issues relating to contracting with certain bodies in light of the current crisis in Ukraine. The guidance includes responses to specific questions raised in relation to current contracts with Gazprom and other procurement issues.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
UK legislation, guidance and updates on financial sanctions against Russia are available at bit.ly/3tw4ovE.
If you have any concerns, questions or need advice, please email [email protected]
Homes for Ukraine
This government scheme offers a route for those who want to come to the UK who have someone here willing to provide them with a home.
The scheme enables individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to offer accommodation, for a minimum of six months.
People arriving under the scheme will be able to live and work in the UK for up to three years and access healthcare, benefits, employment support, education, and English language tuition.
Under the scheme, councils are expected to offer a range of support, including: initial reception at particular ports of entry; data sharing; safeguarding checks, including of sponsors and the accommodation they are providing; administering ‘interim’ £200 payments to guests and monthly £350 ‘thank you’ payments to sponsors; providing school places for children; and supporting the integration of Ukrainian families into their local communities.
Guidance for councils on Homes for Ukraine is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councils.
Voices of Ukrainian municipalities
The Association of Ukrainian Cities has produced a short video with messages from the mayors of Kharkiv, Kyiv and Mykolayiv (see www.youtube.com/watch?v=89RSEBHIozU), giving a glimpse into the extraordinary challenges they now face.
They are organising distribution of food and medicine, evacuation of women and children, and urgent repairs to basic infrastructure damaged by Russian bombs.
Ukrainian mayors are resisting the Russian invasion by assuring the continuation of public services in an extremely dangerous environment.
The LGA has a dialogue with the Ukrainian association via the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, which is sharing what local government in different European countries is doing to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.